Run due diligence the simple way



Who this is for

Founder led lower-middle market companies with 5 to 50 million in annual revenue that want to manage diligence without hurting operations.

The quick answer

Name a deal captain and a small core team. Use a clean data room with a clear index. Run a weekly checklist for finance, legal, tax, people, tech, and operations. Log questions and close them fast. Protect service levels with a backfill plan. Bring in outside help for spikes in work.

The method in eight steps

  1. Appoint the captain and core team
    Choose a captain with decision rights and three to five functional leads.

  2. Stand up the data room
    Use a standard index and naming rules. Keep permissions on need to know. Maintain an updates log.

  3. Publish the weekly checklist
    Finance, legal, tax, people, tech, operations. Show status and the next step with dates.

  4. Centralise questions
    Use one Q and A channel. Assign owners. Respond within two business days.

  5. Protect the business
    Create a backfill plan for customer work, quoting, and operations. Use overtime or contractors to cover peaks.

  6. Run a short weekly standup
    Fifteen minutes to clear blockers and confirm due dates.

  7. Escalate early
    If a risk appears, record it, test impact, and prepare options. Keep a short risk list.

  8. Close and archive
    At signing, export the data room index and archive responses. Capture lessons learned for the next deal.

Example

A distributor completed diligence in six weeks with a five person core team. Service levels held because they backfilled two frontline roles during the busiest weeks.

Pitfalls and fixes

  • Many hands and no captain. Appoint one owner with real authority.

  • Emails everywhere. Use a single Q and A path.

  • Neglecting operations. Backfill early.

Checklist

  • Captain and core team

  • Data room with index and log

  • Weekly diligence checklist

  • Q and A channel

  • Backfill plan

  • Risk list and escalation path

Related links

  • Build a clean data room

  • Plan the first 100 days of integration

  • Keep the team aligned during M and A

Call to action

Want diligence that moves fast without hurting customers. Contact Founded Partners and we will set the checklist, the data room, and the backfill plan with you.